Research Skills

During your first visit today you will learn how to improve your Internet Research skills (powerpoint).
Staff_Picture_002.jpg
Keen and ready to go!!



Search Engines
Your task:

Using the skills we have discussed and thinking of your topic choose one of the search engines :
www.google.co.nz; http://www.dogpile.com www.clusty.com
See what you can find out about your topic.

Refining search terms
Your task:

Watch the "entertainment example" then choose another of the search engines and do the following search
- starting with "medicine"
- note the hit count as you refine down to "swine flu."

Try this incredibly cool sitefor any subject at school. It's wicked with a capital W!

Homework:

Your task:

You will do the following exercise for homework back at school using the skills and resources you have learned today.


My Brainstorm of Ideas for Search Terms


Topic:_
bodgies and widgies
boy racers


Search Term 1
Search Term 2
Search Term 3
Narrower terms:
1950's fashion
community groups
street racers
petrol heads
car enthusiasts

Alternative terms:
gangs
outsiders
gangs
outsiders

Broader terms:
groups
societies
groups
societies

Related terms:
peer pressure
rock and roll
peer pressure
internal combustion engines
car racing

Sources / places:




Choice of search engine:
Proposed search strings:





National Library Advisers will now introudce you to a range of databases these are great authenticated sources of information

Databases for finding great information

Databases differ from items found through general WWW searching in that they contain information that has been pre selected for authenticity and reliability. Information contained in databases is not usually found through a general web search engine.Usually each database has to be searched separately although some have now been blended to enable cross database searching (federated searching) . They are like a reference book where you have to take the book off the shelf before searching its index.

1. School Library Catalogue: Musac First port of call

Available via your school library and/or the school intranet

2. National Library of New Zealand www.natlib.govt.nz

Go to the School Staff quicklink and the centre column gives an entry point for accesssing a wide variety of databases
  • National Library Catalogue
http://nlnzcat.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?DB=local&PAGE=FIRST

3. Find NZ articles

http://findnzarticles.natlib.govt.nz

4. EPIC

http://www.tki.org.nz/r/epic/
Ask your librarian for Linwood College's username & password. You can access from home too!

ANZ reference centre (full text newspaper articles & periodicals)

Encyclopaedia Britannica

5. Te Ara

http://www.teara.govt.nz/

6. Matapihi http://www.matapihi.org.nz/
This is a good example of a federated search that invisibly searches across several different databases (libraries and museums ) to produce a list of relevant results. It contains many ANZAC pictures.

7. Te Puna Web Directory Its aim is to provide a subject gateway to selected New Zealand and Pacific Island Internet information resources.http://webdirectory.natlib.govt.nz/index.htm

8. Any Questions
http://www.anyquestions.co.nz/

AnyQuestions.co.nz helps you find useful, accurate, online information for your homework.
It’s not a ‘quick answers service’ - instead online librarians are trained to help you work out the sort of information you need, then begin searching with you.
New Zealand school students can talk to a librarian each weekday between 1pm and 6pm. The librarian will help you find useful, accurate, online information for your homework. They will assist you to work out the sort of information you need, then begin searching with you.

Many Answers http://www.manyanswers.co.nz/ Here you can search for answers to popular homework questions asked at AnyQuestions.co.nz.

9. SCIS Database
This is good to check out subject headings. You can use it to search for preselected education relevant websites. Ask your School Librarian for the username and password specific to your school.
http://www1.curriculum.edu.au/scis/index.htm

Handy Hints to search for websites on SCIS http://www1.curriculum.edu.au/scis/connections/cnetw05/55handy.htm